The June 2000 CSNM presidential proclamation (PDF) directed the Secretary of the Interior to "ůstudy the impacts of livestock grazing on the objects of biological interest in the monument with specific attention to sustaining the natural ecosystem dynamics."

Awaiting the findings of the Livestock Impacts Studies and the final grazing decision, the BLM has continued to manage existing grazing allotments within the monument. Currently, eleven ranchers hold grazing leases for 2,714 active animal unit months (AUMs) within the monument. An additional two allotments are vacant. An AUM is the amount of forage required to sustain a cow and calf for one month.

The Medford District released the findings of the CSNM Livestock Impacts Studies on January 24, 2008. The studies were designed to provide inference about livestock impacts to objects of biological interest (PDF) within the historic and landscape context of the monument. While some papers captured context, other papers examined livestock influence on individual organisms or communities. Several papers incorporated the research and results of a range of studies. The original projects defined by the final Plan for Studying the Impacts of Livestock Grazing on the Objects of Biological Interest32 MB(PDF) (released in November 2005) were combined into natural units and are summarized in nine papers. These papers, along with a Reader's Guide, are available electronically: